


Worth The Trouble

by exyjunkies



Series: A Life Together [1]
Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Marriage Proposal, i love these boys too much, i wrote this for three hours straight and i have zero regrets, im never leaving my fox headspace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-10 23:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7012105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exyjunkies/pseuds/exyjunkies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Whenever and wherever the wedding is, I'll be there. I'm not even going to wait for the invite. Since I'm the ring-giver, I also get to be the ring-bearer. Love, Robin.</i>
</p><p>Written for the prompt: "ps: I have a prompt for u I think you'll like!! The first time Andrew accepts it's always yes unless it's a no and doesn't need to ask. Neil may or may not tear up because of this level of trust"</p><p>EDIT: Initially posted as a stand-alone on Tumblr, but I've decided to make this into one whole series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since Neil had fully grasped the straws of his and Andrew's "thing that wasn't a thing but was a thing", each day was a day that went towards understanding how the goalkeeper had rules. The special paradigm which held their shared existence had walls that were built up and intended to be strong, but were fragile enough to be shattered at the slightest bit of recklessness. Neil was conscious, cat-sensitive to anything that may go wrong, but being careful didn't mean completely avoiding mistakes. Sometimes, he forgot to ask for consent, he touched Andrew during a nightmare, he lied about something that was bothering him. Andrew, during these misguided moments, had set Neil straight the only way he knew how—with a level of hostility that Neil could tell wasn't completely genuine, but enough to get the point across.

This relationship-specific awareness held on securely for as long as Neil could remember, and now, following Andrew's rules were second nature; he knew the boundaries like he knew how to walk.

It's been around four years since Neil had graduated from Palmetto State, and (almost) nothing has changed. His fifth year was, undeniably, difficult; the cousins graduating left him being the last of the "old school" Foxes. Jack and Sheena never really cared about earning his respect, so their behavior became increasingly deplorable. Neil thanked the stars above for Robin Cross; it was absolutely necessary that at least one Fox was on his side during his year as captain.

On his graduation day, Robin's going-away present may or may not have made him tear up: it was a Fox-styled ring ( _thank god it wasn't orange-trimmed_ , Neil thought). A small diamond fox tail curled upward from the silver ring band. It came with a note, which boldly declared in neat letters,

_Whenever and wherever the wedding is, I'll be there. I'm not even going to wait for the invite. Since I'm the ring-giver, I also get to be the ring-bearer. Love, Robin._

To this day, Neil keeps it a secret and away from where Andrew could see it. He doesn't have the safe he used to keep his red binder in ( _There is no room in our place for hidden agendas_ , Andrew had sternly told him. The safe was thrown away, but Neil had insisted on keeping the red binder "for emergencies". He didn't feel like admitting its value was mostly sentimental, a truth Andrew would find so typically _Neil Josten_ he'd roll his eyes thrice. As the years went by though, Neil didn't think he'd ever need it again either, with Andrew here.), so he kept the ring in one of the pockets of his wallet.

Neil shared a two-bedroom apartment with Andrew (The second bedroom, Neil had explained, was for when they had friends over. Andrew had wrinkled his nose at the idea, but if it meant he got the gorgeous view that came with the apartment, he didn't really have a reason to complain.), and the rent left them more than enough cash to splurge with. They had hot water 24/7, cable TV with all the channels, all the gaming consoles Andrew cared about ( _Everything but the Wii_ , he had instructed his personal assistant to get for him. _I won't be able to handle it when Nicky forces me to play Mario Kart._ ). He still wasn't used to being this free with money, but he figured it was one of the perks of being a pro-athlete. Being signed to a pro team different from Andrew's was as exciting as it was convenient, since they both lived in a world that hasn't completely gotten rid of homophobia, but it was getting there. Just like he and Andrew were.

"Neil! How does it feel like whenever you get the ball past your former goalkeeper?"

A shark-like grin was all Neil had for this red-haired reporter; he liked it when the press smelled blood, because he meant he could take the first hit. Of course, the most he could do was have fun — it was Andrew rule number ???: _don't fucking come out on national television._

Andrew didn't exactly limit his creativity, so Neil took advantage of it whenever he could.

"Feels fantastic," Neil said, soaking up the cameras' attention. "Also, it makes me wonder what made Minyard so easy to beat." Leaning closely, he mumbled into the mic, "He wasn't such a softie before."

The press went wild, but too wild for them to be able to catch the striker for a follow-up inquiry. Walking away and to the cab waiting for him outside, Neil made it a guessing game to figure out how high his hatred percentage was going to be.

* * *

 "A softie? _Really_?"

Matt was laughing _so_ hard, Neil could hear it as if he was beside him. They had agreed to Facetime every Thursday night, and it was just timely that his words about Andrew became one of that night's ESPN headlines. The media had gone for more or less the expected angle: how Andrew's reputation made it hard to believe that he really did "go soft". Wymack was getting several calls an hour from hungry-for-more journalists, all dying to hear about how Andrew was back when he was a Fox. The moment the news was out, Nicky and Aaron Tweeted their reactions almost immediately ("@nckyhmmck: I cannot believe the world's only getting to know my cousin now!!!!! @aj_minyard's got a full  <3, y'all better believe it" and "@aaron_minyard: My twin? A softie? #sayitaintso", respectively). Andrew was unquestionably  _livid_.

"I'm going to kill him, Boyd. You better cancel the call now," Andrew said, leaning towards Neil to look directly into the camera. "I don't want any witnesses."

"No, wait, wait, I want to hear Neil say it again. This is gold. I need to hear it live. C'mon." Matt made a show of adjusting his earphones and motioned for Neil to repeat his lines. "Pleeeeeeeeease."

Neil sighed, and complied with Matt's request. Putting the mic up to his mouth, he repeated, "Fine. _Also, it makes me wonder what made Minyard so easy to beat. He wasn't such a softie before._ "

Matt's heckling and his enthusiastic "Dan! Get the _fuck_ over here. Neil just re-did his latest Andrew comment over Facetime! With actual _feelings_!" were cut off as soon as Andrew ended the call, a frown on his face.

Neil laughed and put his laptop aside. "You gotta admit it's funny, Andrew."

"If this weren't our bed, which has my DNA all over it, this would be your fucking murder scene," Andrew shot back. "Your racquet is _right there_."

Putting on his best skeptical face, Neil fake-gasped. "You wouldn't hide my body? Or the murder weapon? _Wow_ , you truly have gone soft." He narrowed his eyes at Andrew and pointed. "Who are the _hell_ are you, and what have you done with Andrew Joseph Minyard?"

Andrew growled and made a grab for him, and Neil bolted out of the bedroom, laughing. Their apartment wasn't big enough for him to have anyplace to hide, but this was just as fun. Andrew was just so fun to mess with, Neil couldn't help it. He only made it as far as the couch before Andrew tackled him with his whole body, the both of them falling onto the couch.

"You're so troublesome, Neil Josten," Andrew grumbled into his ears, eliciting another chuckle from Neil.

"Stop telling me things I already know, smartass," Neil replied breathlessly, tangling his fingers in Andrew's hair. He smelled like toothpaste and fresh snow. Putting his forehead on Neil's, Andrew closed his eyes and whispered, "Yes or no?"

"It's always a yes unless it's a no," Neil quietly chorused back, and Andrew kissed the smile off his lips. After all these years, they still kissed the same; Andrew biting on Neil's lower lip and Neil's hands carelessly messing up Andrew's hair. Neil moaning and Andrew opening his mouth to catch the sound he thought was beautiful. When the kiss finally ended, they gasped for the much-needed air, their chests heaving.

Neil's breathing eventually evened out, and he looked into Andrew's steady eyes like he couldn't believe they were in a place _this_ emotionally strong.

Andrew wasn't smiling as widely as he was (hell, the asshole barely smiled _at all_ ), but Neil knew they were feeling the same thing. It was better off unexplained, and because neither of them had shattered the glass by saying the words, Neil felt the magic run in his veins during moments like this. Andrew looked at him like he wanted the second to last forever, and Neil was more than willing to stay on this couch if Andrew wanted him to be that close to him tonight.

Except, apparently, Andrew had other plans. He sat up and knelt with his legs bent by Neil's sides, and Neil propped himself up on both elbows. "Are you okay?"

Andrew looked like he was somewhere else. "Do you really mean that?"

Neil had to backtrack, but eventually, "Yes. It sounds rehearsed, but you know I'm capable of saying no when I need to. With you, it's always a yes." He cocked his head to one side, curiosity getting the best of him. "Why?"

A nervous look spread across Andrew's facial features as he said spitefully, "Good. You just saved me the trouble of looking traditionally ridiculous for two minutes." He moved farther from Neil to give him space to properly sit up. Andrew looked like he was going to vomit.

Neil was at a lost for words. "Andrew, what's going o—"

"Since you confirmed you really meant that, I don't think I need to ask." Andrew shakily pulled a small box from his sweatpants pocket. He opened it, and gestured to what was inside. A silver ring with two small diamond-encrusted Exy racquets that formed an X-shape sat inside. Neil gaped. It felt like a fast-paced dream. And yet, it was _real_.

"Robin gave this to me on graduation day. She joked about how she thought I was going to propose first," Andrew began, scowling slightly. "How predictable am I? But no way in _hell_ am I going to bend my knee for someone I hate so much. Don't you _dare_ make me, Josten. You're already at 900-something percent as it is. I also hated the note that came with it, but now, Robin's going to have to be our ring-bearer, so—"

"Andr—" Neil started, but Andrew gave him a look.

"Don't fucking try, Neil," Andrew cut him off. He looked like he was having a really hard time getting the words out. A breath, and then, "There are days when I remember how fucked up I am, and it's a wonder that you're still here. If you had kept even half of your wits about you, then you probably should've left a long time ago, even when you promised me you'd stop running. I don't know, Neil, maybe you're just as messed up for thinking you'll get something out of being with me. I'll never forget how I don't deserve you, or any of... _this_ , but I want you to know that every day from now on is a day I'll stay. I will, if you let me. _If you want me to_."

Andrew stopped abruptly, and glared as he looked to the side. "Fuck, I'm so bad at this, I forgot the rest of my lines. Guess you'll have to let that pass. Anyway, I have three conditions. Take notes." Putting up his fingers, he listed, "One: it'll be a small wedding with the people we care about. And you know how few that is. I'll allow it to be," Andrew shivered at his next word, " _decorated_ , but you'll have to handle that. Nicky and Erik can help you. Two: none of that bachelor party crap. I don't fucking need Kevin drunk enough to actually _die_ —which he will, and soon, if he isn't careful. And three: you're organizing most of this shit. I want to help decide on the food and the band, but that's it. Allison can help with our suits." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and I think Aaron should be my best man."

"Andrew." Neil said sharply.

"What?" Andrew shot back, looking somewhat pissed off. Neil carefully took the box from his hand and set it on the table beside them.

" _Shut up._ " And Neil practically threw himself at the blond man, kissing _yes_ as hard as he can. He hoped Andrew would understand his _yes_ as he kissed Andrew like it was the only thing keeping him alive. When he pulled back, Andrew was looking up at him like he was the most precious thing to exist, that his _yes_ was more valuable than anything he owned.

"Yes." Neil whispered against Andrew's lips, which were carrying a small smile ( _maybe_ Neil was hallucinating, _maybe_ it was real, who knows). "You don't have to ask, you don't have to go down on one knee, hell, this ring's _just a fucking bonus_ because you know as well as I do: I'll say yes anyway. Yes, I'll marry you." Then he noticed a tear making its way down his cheek, and he forced a laugh, which made two more fall down from his other eye. He felt the happiness crashing through his insides like the waves of an ocean against the shore, and his entire body was shaking. "Oh fuck, you made me cry."

Andrew rolled his eyes as he flicked a tear off with his thumb. "I can't believe I'm marrying an idiotic junkie."

Cleverly, Neil shot back, "Haha, very funny. Well, it was either me or Kevin, and you know Kevin has a permanent hard-on for the Exy court."

"If I were interested in Kevin, we wouldn't last past a minute."

Considering this answer, Neil looked into his hazel eyes and asked, "Oh really? What about us? How long do you think we will last?"

As if already expecting this answer, Andrew replied with _just_ a hint of affection, _just_ enough that Neil notices, "As long as it takes."

* * *

Later that night, when they were in bed, naked and tired and _happy_  after celebrating their engagement in the ways they knew how, Neil took out his fox-tail ring from inside his wallet and crawled on top of Andrew. The blond man looked annoyed, but didn't say anything.

"I know it's bad timing for me to get sappy now, and well, I couldn't beat such a softie's engagement speech," at this, Neil playfully wiggled his hand, which wore the racquet ring, and Andrew rolled his eyes, "but I forgot to tell you that Robin gave me a ring too." Andrew's eyes widened at this revelation, and he looked weirdly at the ring in Neil's palm, surprised that he didn't see this coming.

"My first year as a Fox was the year I thought was going to be the last year of my life," Neil began, tears already beginning to form in his eyes. "There were times I thought I had to run, because I could not, _will not_ have my last moments be with people who went through my things, kissed me without consent, and gave me drugs without permission." Andrew hissed at the memory and started to look away guiltily, but Neil made him face forward again. "It's okay, I'm over it, and I've forgiven you—and Nicky—a long time ago."

Neil took a breath to steady himself, and continued. "Andrew, you've done so much more for me than I could've ever imagined. It's been a rough life, and I never would've thought I'd be here, with you, in this moment." Taking the ring and grabbing Andrew's hand, he went on, "This ring, and anything I'll ever get to do for you from now on won't be enough, but... thank you. Thank you for the secrets game, for being there during Baltimore, for kicking Jack's ass when he needed it. Thank you for playing Exy, even though you hated it. Thank you for letting me in when you needed someone. Thank you for a life I never knew I'd have."

A pause, and Neil looked at Andrew like he was looking at his soul. He chose his next words carefully. "And thank you for hating me enough to give all this to me."

There was something unreadable in Andrew's expression after that long spiel; somehow, Neil understood. The way he always understood Andrew, even when it seemed damn near impossible. He didn't get lost anymore when he was trying to comprehend Andrew; he's already become Neil's home.

Andrew exhaled slowly, all the tension leaving his body, and shook his hand free from Neil's grasp. He plucked the ring from Neil's hand and thrust it onto his own ring finger. With a somewhat irritated look, Andrew asked impatiently, "Are you done spouting the nonsense, or can I kiss you now?"

Neil nodded, and laughed into the next kiss. There was a _yes_ waiting in Andrew's mouth, and the kiss made it feel like the  _yes_ has always been there. Neil made a happy noise at the back of his throat. This kiss lasted a lifetime, and was enough for Neil to just _know_ he'll be with Andrew even in the next life. When Andrew pulled back, he shrugged, shot Neil a bored look, and said, "Fine. Yes, I'll marry you. You're enough trouble as it is. How much will these stupid rings change, anyway?"

"You'll be an even bigger softie, for starters," Neil joked, and blocked Andrew's angry "1000%, Neil!" with a pillow before running out of their bedroom again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew contemplates how far his life has come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates will be a lot slower because i'm getting through high school and Life In General BUT i promise i won't abandon this!!

Somehow, the stars outside looked a lot brighter to Andrew. He couldn’t fall asleep (this wasn’t new; he always went to sleep a lot later than Neil did. He partially blamed it on the survival instincts rooted in each vein of his body), so he settled for a cigarette and sitting on the armchair by the interior glass wall facing the apartment’s view of the city. There was now a certain beauty strung along the dark blue sky, and to Andrew, city lights and the typical hustle-and-bustle of night noise didn’t seem as annoying.

If this was what happiness did to his life’s overall perspective, Andrew didn’t feel a complaint lined up.

It’s been a long time since he’s felt a peace line his bones like this. The memories that usually stuck out were the ones that hurt, ones about foster families and juvie and murder and his real family. His life’s alphabet started with A for “abuse”, and… his experiences weren’t even enough to fill in the other letters. He didn’t know a life without hatred being the default, without apathy sitting on his shoulder and whispering into his ear. Now, looking back, there wasn't a compelling reason for Andrew to resent his past anymore. A part of him understood that everything had to happen the way they had in order for him to get to this place, this haven of security he trusted enough not to doubt. The memories with Neil in them had a light of their own, casting the bad in the deepest shadows, and A now meant, for lack of a better word, “amazing”.

Andrew took a drag of his joint, not letting it reach as far as his lungs. He blew the smoke upwards, wistfully observed the cloud it formed.

“Mind taking that shit outside, asshole?”

Neil came into view, the soft moonlight hitting him in all the right places. His sweatpants hung loosely on his hips, showing just the start of his hipbone. With the striker’s messy dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes and shirtless appearance, Andrew thought it completely unfair that Neil was _this_ attractive with minimal effort. 

Then again, he was marrying the dipshit, so he supposed “lucky” was more appropriate. Andrew sensed he was going to have to get used to the fact that Neil was going to be his husband. _Ick_. The word for such a status was disgusting. The idea of a life ahead with Neil... well, whatever had convinced him to propose first, Andrew supposed was worth it.

“Come here.”

“Why are you up?” Neil took the liberty of curling up on Andrew’s lap, taking the cigarette from him. “Just thinking,” Andrew replied, sounding bored. He took the blanket nearby and covered them both. Neil set his head by Andrew's shoulder, letting his breath brush by his neck as he whispered, "About what?"

Andrew shivered, and looked down at the menace he just decided to marry a few hours ago. "About your neck fetish and how it won't do our married life any favors."

"Yeah," Neil whispered, snuggling closer. He poked a finger on Andrew's chest. "But you like it, so it's here to stay."

Taking the cigarette back, Andrew tapped it a few times to get rid of the ash. Wisps of smoke rose up from the joint, and for a while, everything was quiet. Andrew sensed Neil had fallen asleep on him, nose exhaling air into his neck with soft snores.

Marriage, he had read on the internet one day when the apartment was all his, was a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. Andrew initially thought that all it took was a bunch of people coming to witness them kiss and be declared husbands, but his research brought up more than he could've expected. There were licenses to be acquired, and venues to be considered, and food tastings to be attended. They needed a band for the music (Andrew had foreseen the possibility of a DJ, which, to him, was the worst option _ever_ ), rings to be fitted (at this, Andrew decided he should thank Robin for getting him the engagement ring. He would've burst a vein with the stress of choosing the right one.), people to be invited. It also crossed his mind that he and Neil were star athletes, and getting married would wreck havoc upon their lives in the form of a media storm. 

Andrew knew, deep down, that he and Neil didn't need rings to stay together. They were the type of people who tended to ignore social conventions, people who did things their own way. They weren't complete foreigners to the things couples do (e.g. sharing things they owned, dates, making out, sex), but commitment came to them without it being a burdensome obligation; admittedly, it didn't come easy at first, but Andrew was used to things being difficult. Before, there wasn't a day in his life where he had to restrain himself from lashing out because life became hell just when he didn't want it to be. Impulses were dutifully controlled until apathy became possible, and from then on, Andrew just chose not to care about anything.

Until Neil ruined all that. Maybe it was Andrew's fault for letting him.

He thoughtfully decided he deserved extra life points for the simple fact that it was _not_ an impulsive decision to propose to Neil. No, an impulsive move would be to kill anyone and everyone that tried to hurt Neil ever again. An impulsive move would be breaking Nathan Wesninski's neck five ways and gutting him with his knives. An impulsive move, Andrew mused, would be to kiss the sleeping Neil on his lap right now, but his current train of thought and the younger man didn't deserve the interruption.

In all actuality, the decision to marry Neil, if anything, was a year-long struggle Andrew had dealt with alone. It wasn't that he didn't want to; Exy was a big and constant thing in their lives, and with Neil or him being gone from the apartment almost all the time, there wasn't an opportunity that came easily for Andrew to pop the question. Doubt was part of the equation, purposefully wiggling itself into every time Andrew tried to bring it up. It wasn't doubt in Neil, because the junkie did a good enough job of convincing Andrew he wouldn't even think of running away ever again. It was full-on unprecedented doubt in himself. Stability was far from what Andrew could offer—his life could offer years' worth of testimony to back this up—and Neil deserved the world on a silver platter. He deserved countries larger than this one, hopes higher than he could stand to reach, a life universes away from the one he was used to having. And he deserved someone who was capable of giving all that to him.

He remembered the first time they met, when he had slammed a racquet into Neil's ribs and looked down at him, doubting whatever Kevin possibly saw in the low-class striker. Before the internal reprimand could begin, Andrew mentally reminded himself that he didn't know any better back then. Maybe Kevin deserved a proper thank you, but that could wait. The Palmetto State Foxes were a helpless cause, but when Neil came along, the change was revolutionary, almost impossible. Neil had brought the team together in a way that was entirely his own, and along the way, he had pieced Andrew together with his hands in his pockets and his words a prying, annoying force. The hatred defense, unexpectedly, hadn't worked, and Neil, for some reason, kept trying to bring down Andrew's walls, which were up ever since he figured out how to lock people out. Before Andrew knew it, Neil was inside, and feared that he'd leave the wreckage he had worked towards learning about behind without a second glance. For some reason or another, Neil had decided the effort to get in was also worth the endeavor to stay. 

"Stop thinking so loud," Neil whined, eyes still shut. "I can hear you, and you know it." An arm made its way around Andrew's body, and Neil sighed in contentment. 

"Your fault for coming out here," Andrew replied, putting out his cigarette and successfully throwing it into the nearby trash bin. He adjusted his body in the armchair so that he could stand to carry Neil back to the bedroom. Putting his arms under Neil's legs and torso, he moved to get up from the armchair.

A snort of amusement was heard. "Mmm, isn't this carry called the bridal-style?" Neil mumbled into Andrew's shirt, arm still around his neck, as he began walking back. "Practicing already, Andrew?"

"I will drop your ass on the floor," Andrew threatened, but reached the bedroom and placed Neil back on the bed. He pulled the covers up over Neil and went over to his side of the bed. The blond man took a moment to look at Neil, who had rolled over to find Andrew's body heat and proceeded to drift into a deep slumber, a soft smile making his mouth curve slightly. This sight and the reality ahead made him wonder what all that doubt was for; now, Andrew didn't know anything or anybody he was more sure of.

Neil deserved someone who was capable of giving him the world, and Andrew would be _damned_ if he wasn't going to fucking try. 

**Author's Note:**

> send me prompts on [tumblr](http://exyjunkies.tumblr.com)! p.s. i also love comments!!!! tell me whatcha think
> 
> 1\. robin cross is part of nora's extra content!!!!! read all about her [here](http://korakos.tumblr.com/post/126963695002/i-definitely-recommend-just-skipping-this-post).


End file.
